The Touchless
by SkylarWoods
Summary: Hey guys! This is a story I've been writing for a while just for fun, but I thought I'd post it to get some feedback! It follows a group of teenagers and their struggle as they try and survive in a post-apocalyptic world. I used The Walking Dead as inspiration, but it does not follow that plot line or any of the characters from the show, only characters I made up. Thanks!
1. The Beginning

Days like these were my favorite. The sun was bright and warm, a soft breeze brushing back my hair, surrounded in tall, lush green trees circled above me, and dry, whispering grasses tickling my cheek. I was in a small meadow near my home in California with my best friend. "What do you think college is going to be like, Erin?" She asked, breaking the silence. I just shrugged.  
"Better than high school." I said. "I hope." We grew silent again, watching the trees wave back and forth. "Kate?"  
"Yeah?"  
"You'll still be my best friend, right? No matter where we end up?" She laughed at my question. I felt my cheeks heat up a bit.  
"Always." She said, a smile in her voice. We both broke into laughter, followed by another peaceful silence.  
"Erin! Erin, wake up!" I heard a voice calling my name, but it wasn't Kate. I looked around, but no one was in the meadow with us. "Now would be nice, Erin! We have to get out of here!" I gasped as I shot up. I was no longer in the beautiful meadow. I was sitting in a flimsy sleeping bag in a dark, dingy, basement. Kate had been replaced with my older sister, Maddie, leaning over me, an intense look on her face.  
"What? Why?" I frantically started looking around, thinking we were in danger. Again. I saw a few other sleeping bodies around us, but besides the rest of our group, no one else was in the room. "Maddie what's wrong?" She sighed.  
"Erin, this group is getting too big. You know the Walkers are attracted to large groups. We have leave." I groaned. This wasn't new. Ever since we had found and joined up with a few of my old classmates, she'd been uneasy. She didn't trust them. I got up and walked to the other side of the room, motioning for her to follow me so as not to wake the others. I shivered. Even though the sleeping bag was old and tattered, it kept me somewhat warm. I turned back towards Maddie.  
"We can't just leave, Maddie. They're my friends. And they help protect us. Just like we help protect them." I emphasized this by lifting up my shirt, showing the handle to the semi-automatic pistol I had tucked in my waistband. She winced. She'd never liked guns, so when we found the dead police officer with one tucked in his holster, I was the one to take it.  
"We're not responsible for them, Erin. All we have to take care of is ourselves." I stared at her. How could she think like that? After everything we'd been through, it was nice to have others to talk to. It helped me from going insane in this already fucked up world.  
"We may not be responsible for them, but I know we were lost without them. None of them have a gun, or even know how to use one. In return they help us find food. If you don't remember, before we found them, we were starving Maddie. After we lost the only people that provided for us. The only ones who cared for us. The only ones..." My throat had started to close up, and I could feel the threat of tears behind my eyes. But I couldn't cry. I couldn't afford to cry. Maddie put her arm around me.  
"I know Erin, I know. I miss them too. And I know they've helped us. But don't you think that our time with them has been too long? We were on a mission before we met them. What about now? Are we just supposed to forget about Ian?"  
"No. Of course not. I miss Ian too, he's family. And I know he's out there. But for the time being, the best place for us to be right now is with them." I gestured to the pile of sleeping bodies. She sighed.  
"Fine. For now." She sounded defeated.  
"Good." I sighed and rubbed my neck. "You get some sleep. You gave me an adrenaline rush of terror when you woke me up. There's no way I'm falling back asleep. I'll take watch." She shrugged and walked back over to the sleeping bags, slipping into the one I had just vacated.  
I sighed and leaned against the wall facing the door, sliding down until I was sitting, and slipped my jacket over my knees. When I breathed out I could see the icy tendrils of my breath reach out to nothingness in the cold air. I glanced around at the sleeping faces. I'd gone to school for several years with most of the people around me. To my left was Julia, who had been one of my closest friends throughout high school, and Becca and Emma, both of whom I've known since I was little. On my right was Liam and Sasha, two boys I'd known and loved In high school. In front of me was Maddie, and last but not least, Simon and his older brother, Miles. Simon was the one I'd known the longest. Practically since we'd been born. Miles, on the other hand, I'd barely known, and even now didn't quite get along with.  
I thought back to the day that my sister and I had found them. It was night, and we'd been running from a group of Walkers for hours. We hadn't eaten in days, and were in the middle of a long-abandoned highway, not a store in sight. Being the less athletic of us two, Maddie had collapsed, gasping for breath. "Erin, just leave me. Go. Please don't get caught. My ankle's hurt and I can't run. Mom and Dad told me to take care of you. Please save yourself."  
"I'm not leaving you, Maddie. Don't be an idiot." I glanced around, running towards an abandoned car. "Please, please, be unlocked," I muttered. I yanked on the handle, and the door sprung open. Just then, I heard the groans of the Walkers not far behind us. "Maddie, come on!" I whisper-yelled to her. She limped over, clutching her side. I helped her into the car, quickly jumping in after and immediately locking the doors. Just seconds later came the muffled footsteps and piercing groans of the Walkers. "Get your head down." I told her. We laid down in the back, me on the floor and her on the seats. I felt a siege of terror as they slammed their bodies against the car. I let out a small whimper. Maddie reached down, and squeezed my shoulder. The slamming got louder, their fists now pounding on the windows. All I could remember thinking was about how I was going to die an 18 year old virgin, and then hating myself for thinking something so shallow. We suddenly heard a few slicing and stabbing noises, and the pounding and the groaning slowly stopped. A few seconds later, the door was ripped open, a knife hanging just inches from our heads.  
"Erin?" A male voice said, sounding extremely familiar. I looked up. At first I didn't recognize him.  
"Simon?" I could barely get his name out. I jumped out of the car and threw my arms around him, completely ignoring the knife I almost impaled myself on. I felt a burning sensation behind my eyes and a lump in my throat, but swallowed it down. I wasn't going to cry in front of him.  
"Erin, what the hell?" He said, pulling back to look at me, then wrapping me in a hug again. I held him tight, not wanting to let go. I looked over his shoulder, for the first time realizing he wasn't alone. Behind him stood his brother, Liam, Sasha, Julia, Becca, and Emma.  
"What the fuck?" Was all I could muster out. I finally let go of Simon, glancing around. "You killed them all?" Simon just nodded and grimaced.  
"Let's just say I've learned how to use a knife." I knew it was gruesome, not funny, but I started giggling. Soon it had turned into a full on fit of laughter, and I couldn't stop. Everyone had grouped around me, looking at me strangely, but I still couldn't stop. "Erin? You alright?" Simon looked at me, concerned. My laughter turned into hyperventilation, and I started feeling lightheaded.  
"Erin? Erin what the hell, stop!" Maddie shrieked. That was the last thing I heard before I passed out.  
When I awoke we were moving, and I was lying in someone's arms. Disoriented, I blinked a few times, looking around. "Thank god you're awake," I heard Simon say. He leaned down and placed me on my feet, but kept an arm around me to keep me steady. I could feel my cheeks turning bright red. Everyone grouped around me again.  
"You alright, Erin?" Julia asked. I glanced around at their concerned faces.  
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," I muttered, blushing even harder and looking at the ground. I took a deep breath and looked back up. "How did you guys find us?" I asked, looking around the group for an answer. Sasha spoke up first.  
"Honestly it was a coincidence. We've been walking this highway for a while, looking for others. We heard the Walkers, so we snuck up on them just as they were attacking the car you were in." He explained, gesturing at Maddie and me. "We took them out, figuring there was someone with a beating heart inside."  
"Oh hey, are you hungry?" Liam asked, digging around in his backpack and pulling out a few bars. My stomach rumbled in answer.  
"Thank you."

**Thanks so much for reading guys! Reviews would mean the world to me. I have A LOT more to this story, so if you want to see the next installation, please let me know! Thanks again!**


	2. Chapter 2

All that had lead to where we were now. This elegant, beautiful, abandoned, basement. A shiver ran down my spine, reminding me of the reality of our situation. I closed my eyes, thinking of my dream. The warm sun on my cheek, the soft breeze. The carefree feeling of the summer, the excitement for college. We'd been in hiding for so long, on the run everyday, I'd forgotten what it was like to not have a care in the world.

"Erin?" The whisper snapped me back to reality. I opened my eyes to see Simon leaning over me. "I thought Maddie was on watch tonight?" He asked, tilting his head. I shrugged. I couldn't tell him the truth, that Maddie wanted to leave.

"She was tired. I wasn't." I shivered again.

"Geez, Erin, you look freezing." He said while taking off his jacket and offering it to me. I shook my head. "Erin. Take it."  
"No, I'm fine. You'll freeze."

"Your lips are turning blue. Take it." I couldn't resist the warm and fuzziness of it. I smiled gratefully at him as he wrapped it around me. "I was going to go up and see what we have for breakfast. Want to come with?"

"Anything to not be in this creepy place anymore." I said, standing up to follow him up the stairs. We walked up a set of creaky wooden stairs that opened into the kitchen of the small house above. We had already checked the whole house for Walkers the night before and boarded up the windows and doors so no more could come in. We still took precautions as we came up though, Simon with his knife and me with my gun. Once we decided it was clear, I tucked the gun away. Simon watched me. "What?" I asked after a few seconds. He just shook his head.

"I need to get me one of those," he said with a chuckle.

"Yep. Because you aren't getting this one." I said, raising my eyebrows, one hand protectively hovering over it. He laughed.  
"Of course not." He then turned, dropped his pack on the table, and shuffled through it, looking for breakfast. "Mm...how about.." He spun around, holding two cans. "Canned corn for breakfast?" I groaned.

"Yum. Can't wait." I said, rolling my eyes. He smirked.

"Go look through those drawers for a pot." I raised my eyebrow at him, putting a hand on my hip. He rolled his eyes. "Please?" I smiled.

"There we go." I started rifling through the drawers until I found a pot. I put it on the stove and, after a few tries, it lit. "Woo! No cold corn for us!" Simon rolled his eyes yet again.

"You know, you-" He was cut off by footsteps on the stairs, and Sasha and Liam bursting through the door.  
"Did we hear no cold corn?" Liam asked excitedly.

"Yep. This morning, it's gonna be hot!" I said with fake enthusiasm. The boys groaned.

"I thought you meant we had something other than corn." Liam complained.

"At least it's food," Julia said as she appeared at the top of the stairs, followed closely by Emma and Becca. Last to arise was Maddie and Miles. They appeared at the top of the stairs together whispering.

"What are you two on about?" I asked, smirking and glancing at Simon. We exchanged faces, but he made no comment. "Erin! The corn!" Julia suddenly yells. I spun around to see it starting to smoke. I stupidly grabbed the pot, burning my palm.

"Fuck!" I screamed and dropped the pot, spilling corn everywhere. All I could do is stare at the pot on the ground. "Shit." Everyone silently stared. My stomach started sinking down to my toes, but suddenly, Simon burst out laughing. I looked up, confused. Soon, all of them were laughing. I couldn't help but smile, and eventually started laughing along.

"Good job, Erin," Maddie said sarcastically. I bent down and started picking it up and putting it back into the pot. None could be wasted.

"Sorry guys," I said, still laughing. I picked up the last piece and stood up. "Who wants corn?" Everyone laughed again.  
"Sounds delicious," Miles said, smirking. Simon reached up and grabbed a few plates from the cupboards, dusting them off.

"Lovely." Liam muttered, causing another round of giggles. I found the silverware drawer, and, once I found one that I deemed to be the least dirty and dusty, I started to spoon a bit of corn onto each plate, handing them out.

"Yum. Luke-warm, slightly dusty, corn. My favorite," Sasha said through a mouthful. All too soon, we had all gobbled it up. No one would admit it, but ours stomachs still grumbled for more. We were all silent, staring at our plates. I quietly stood up and started collecting plates. I walked them to the sink, and turned on the water. After a few seconds, water with a slightly brown tinge started flowing out of the faucet. I picked up a similarly browned sponge and started scrubbing the dishes. After about a minute or two, Simon finally broke the silence.

"Erin, what are you doing?" I stayed silent. "Erin, seriously. You know we're leaving, you don't have to do that." I continued. I didn't know why, but I felt compelled to clean. I had to. "Erin." I felt his hand on my shoulder as he reached over and turned off the water. I froze, the plate and sponge in mid air as if we were playing a game of freeze tag. He slowly pulled the plate and sponge from my hands, gently putting them down in the sink. I could feel everybody's eyes on me, but I still couldn't move. Simon tilted his head at Miles, gesturing for him to take everyone into the other room.

"Alright guys, let's go make a plan for today." Without another word, he walked into the adjoining dining room. After a moment of hesitation, the others followed until all that was left was me, Simon, and Maddie. Simon nodded to her.

"Go ahead. I got this one." I could feel her standing behind me, not completely trusting him, a war in her mind. Finally, one side won out, and she walked into the other room. We were both silent, the only sounds being muttering in the other room and my own heartbeat. Eventually, I couldn't take the quiet anymore, but I couldn't find the will to speak. Thankfully, Simon spoke first. "Erin." I slowly turned around to face him. He just stared at me, waiting for me to talk. I took a deep breath.

"I just..I...I realized something." My voice was shaking. He nodded, waiting for me to continue. "I realized that that moment," I pointed at the ground where the corn had fallen as if I could point into the past. "That moment was the first time I've actually laughed since my...my parents..." I couldn't bring myself to say it, but Simon understood. Without a word, he pulled me into his arms. For some reason I felt like I had to go on. "I haven't cried," I blurted out. "I mean, at all. Not when they were bitten. Not when they killed themselves. Never. I don't know what's wrong with me. All I can do is wonder if there was something I could've done. Something that could've saved them." Simon pulled back and looked me in the eye.

"That wasn't your fault Erin. You can't keep blaming yourself for something you had no control over. Keeping yourself from having any happiness isn't what your parents would've wanted." I nodded, but looked down. He sighed. "Hey." He put a finger under my chin, tilting my head up. "I've known you for so long. You're one of the strongest people I know. You've helped lead this group to safety several times, and a lot of them look up to you. Your parents would be proud of what you've done." The familiar swelling feeling of my throat and burning sensation behind my eyes returned. I was completely frozen, staring back into his mossy green eyes. I could suddenly feel the tension in the room as if it were pushing down on me from every angle. I quickly took a deep breath and looked away, causing his finger to slip away. He coughed and leaned his arm against the counter. I gave him a small smile, and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you." It was all I could muster. He tilted his head towards the other room.

"Ready?" I nodded, and followed him into the dining room where the rest of the group was in deep conversation, pointing at a map.

"We should be going north," Miles was arguing.

"North is colder, why would we want to go where we're going to freeze?" Liam said incredulously.

"Miles is right. It may be colder, but there's going to be less Walkers up there. They're not a fan of the cold." Julia said, a hand on her hip.

"It'll also cause them to move slower," I added. Everyone turned to stare at me. I felt my cheeks warm up a little, but I continued. "Think about it. They don't have blood flowing through them anymore. Even with blood, humans move slower in the cold. It's locks up the joints and muscles." They were all quiet for a moment.

"That makes sense and all, but what about food? I mean, if we plan on settling down anywhere, we're going to have to start a garden at some point. How'll we do that in the snow?" Sasha asked.

"Settle down?" I asked, slightly stunned. I'd never thought about it before, but it was true. Canned food would only carry us so far. Simon echoed those thoughts.

"We're going to run out of food eventually. Sasha's right. We need to find somewhere we can settle and grow our own." He said, crossing his arms.

"Erin, sidebar." Maddie grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the kitchen.

"Woah, what?" I asked, surprised. She sighed, frowning.

"If we go with them, we'll never see Ian again. Ever." My heart sank. I hadn't thought about that. The last time we'd seen our cousin was the night before the epidemic had broken out. We had tried contacting him and my aunt and uncle the next day, but couldn't reach them. When we visited their house, they had disappeared with most of the food out of their pantry, their dog, and their car. No note. Just gone.

"You don't know that Maddie. They're smart. Ian's smart. He might know to go up north too."

"You can't just guess that! North could be anywhere upwards."

"What do you expect? They just left!" I tried to keep my voice down, but it was hard. "Are we just supposed to search the entire United States? They could be dead for all we know!" I hadn't meant to say the last part. I immediately wanted to take it back after I saw the effect on her face. My voice softened. "Maddie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"No. You're right. We don't know. It's not worth it." Her voice had gone stone cold. She pushed past me, going back towards the basement.

"Where are you going now?" I called after her.

"Someone has to pack everything up," she snipped. I groaned and walked back into the dining room.

"Everything alright?" Sasha asked. I shrugged.

"Yeah. Maddie just really wants to go after our cousin, but we have no clue as to where he is."

"Ian?" Simon asked. I nodded.

"Yeah. Right after the epidemic hit, we went to their house, but they were long gone."

"I'm sorry, Erin. I wish we could find him. But with nothing to go on..." Miles said, frowning. I shook my head.

"No, I totally get it. That's what I told her. It's just hard. He's like a brother. But we all have some sort of family out there." I glanced around the room as everyone nodded solemnly. And it was true. Everyone had to know someone who was missing, dead, or had become a Walker. It was a way of life now. "Alright." I said, clapping my hands together, shocking everyone back to reality. "We need to make a-". There was a scream from the basement, cutting me off mid-sentence. My heart dropped to my toes. "Maddie."

 _**Thank you so much for the reviews I've already received and the advice given! It is all extremely helpful in making this a better story and me a better writer. Any reviews would be very appreciated! I LOVE hearing back from you! Sorry about the cliffhanger here, but chapter three will be up soon. Thanks again!**_


	3. Chapter 3

I turned and sprinted down the stairs, yanking out the gun from my waistband in the process. Once I reached the bottom, I spun my head wildly, looking for her. I saw an older looking Walker approaching the far left corner. Maddie was crouched there, throwing random items at it. It didn't hurt it at all, but it definitely slowed it down.

"Hey there, fucker." I yelled, aiming at it. I pulled the trigger, hoping it hit it in the head. There was sickening thunk as the bullet sunk into his fleshy shoulder. It didn't kill him, but it took it's attention off of Maddie. And put it on me. It started running at me. Panicked, my hands shook as I slid another bullet into the chamber and fired, but he was too close. The bullet flew straight through it's neck, leaving a clean hole through it's sagging brown flesh. I felt it's hands clasp around my arms, squeezing tight, it's nails digging into my arm.

And then it's head was gone. Simon had run down the stairs with his knife and chopped it off. The body slumped to the ground, twitching slightly. I let out a shuddered breath that I hadn't known I was holding until now. Maddie ran forward, pulling me into a hug.

"Oh thank god, Erin. You're such an idiot," she said, muffled through tears. I hugged her back, but I knew something was wrong. I looked back at the rest of the group. They were silent. Dead silent. Maddie finally noticed. "What...what's wrong? Everything's alright now. Why the faces? It didn't touch me!" She pleaded, her voice strained. My chest tightened. I knew what was wrong. I could feel it. In my arm. I turned back to Maddie and gave her another hug.

"I love you, Maddie. Remember that." I whispered.

"What on earth are you talking about, Erin? You're fine. We're both fine." Worry creased her forehead. I finally pushed up my sleeve and turned my arm over. Distinctly, I could see three nail marks, all deep enough to draw blood. "No." Was all Maddie could get out. "No, no, no."

 _Shit_. Was all I could think. _Shit, shit, shit_.

"You idiot, Erin! Why did you have to come and save the day?" Maddie was starting to get hysteric. She grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "You should've let me die! I'm the older one, I'm supposed to protect you. Now you're going to die. You're going to leave me, just like Mom and Dad." Her words stung, but I knew it was only a defense. Tears were starting to run down her face. Miles made an involuntary cough, but, Maddie taking it as a threat, spun towards him, her eyes wild. "Don't any of you think we're leaving her. Not for one minute." Miles and Simon exchanged glances. Simon stepped forward.

"I agree. We're not leaving her," he stated. "Or killing her." He added on hastily as Maddie cleared her throat to start arguing.

"Wait, what?" Miles asked, incredulous. "Are you serious? We can't take a ticking time bomb with us. That's putting the rest of us at risk!" Simon stepped close to his brother.

"It takes at least a day for symptoms to show up, right?" His eyes were cold. Miles shrugged.  
"Then once she starts showing symptoms, then we'll revisit our possibilities. Until then, she stays." Miles got close to Simon's face, but Simon didn't back away.

"You're putting the rest of us at risk, I hope you know that." He turned towards me. "You too, Erin. I'm sorry you got scratched, but that's life now. You could kill all of us." He glared at Simon one more time, then stomped up the stairs. I turned to Simon.

"Do you really think this is a good idea? I don't want to hurt any of you." Simon looked down, then back up, meeting my eyes.

"You're not the only one who's lost people that were important to you. I can't lose you too." He said it quietly. I couldn't find the words to respond, so I just nodded. "Alright. We've picked a route. We should finish packing up and then head out." He looked around the group as if challenging anyone to disagree with him. No one did, so he led the way up the stairs. One by one, people grabbed their packs, and after giving a backwards glance at me, filed up the stairs. Maddie, her cheeks still tear-stained, grabbed her pack, squeezed my shoulder, and followed up the stairs.

As soon as they had all gone, I took a shuddering breath. I was going to die, and I had to accept it now. I would give myself five seconds now to feel, and then I had to be stony and strong. I slowly lifted my walls, and like a tsunami, a flood of feelings overwhelmed me. 1... The burning sensation behind my eyes came back, and I didn't fight it. 2... I was going to die in less than a day. At 18 years old. 3... The first tears that I had shed since this whole shit storm had happened rolled down my cheek. 4... I was going to die never having told my childhood love how I felt about him. 5. And that was it. I let my internal walls slam shut until all I could feel was an emptiness inside. I took a last deep breath, grabbed my pack, wiped my cheeks dry, had one last glance around the basement, and then hustled up the stairs.

 _**I decided to post this chapter right after the second because it's much shorter than most. Plus, the ending was quite the cliffhanger and I couldn't keep you waiting for long :)_

 _Thank you so, SO much for the reviews I've received thus far! I would still very much appreciate ANY feedback and reviews from you! It's what keeps me writing! Thanks again! Chapter four will be coming your way soon :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

I went first out the door. Since I'd already been scratched, there was much less risk with me. I knew everyone was thinking it, but I was the one who volunteered. I held my gun at the ready as I slowly twisted the knob and peeked outside. The sun had just broken over the mountains, causing the ground to turn a soft golden color and the leaves on the autumn trees a fiery yellow and orange. I crept down the front path, twisting back and forth, watching for any movement. Luckily, it was clear. I motioned for the others to follow.

"Lead the way," I told Miles, my breath appearing in puffs in the frigid air. He nodded, but when I tried to get a look at the map, he quickly backed up, almost tripping over his own shoelaces. I pursed my lips, but didn't say anything. He quickly walked ahead. Simon rolled his eyes as he fell into step next to me.

"Don't mind him. He's just scared. Scared of what you might become. It reminds him of our parents." I had never asked Simon about his parents, but even now, it felt weird to ask. Just like he had never asked me. It was just something you didn't talk about anymore. We were quiet for a moment.

"Where would you be?" I asked suddenly. He looked at me confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I had this dream last night. I was back home, before the disease spread. I was in a meadow with Kate."

"Rapoff?" He asked. I nodded, smiling.

"Yeah. We were just talking, worrying about college, and promising to stay friends all throughout." I closed my eyes. The morning sun was climbing higher in the sky, spreading its warm tendrils across my cheeks. "I could feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, a soft breeze through my hair. The trees were waving above us, the tall grass swaying back and forth, whispering. And it all felt so real." I could feel his eyes on me, but I didn't care. The memory of the meadow made my skin tingle as if it could still feel the breeze. I slowly opened my eyes. "But none of it was real. Not even the meadow." I sighed. "That day never even actually happened." I finally glanced back at Simon, half expecting him to be look at me as if I were crazy. Instead, he just nodded.

"I've had dreams like that. With family and friends. Memories that never actually happened. I think it's because we miss them. If we can't talk to them everyday, we can at least talk to them in our dreams." This time I was staring at him while he looked straight ahead, as if trying to decipher something on the horizon.

"I like that much better." We grew quiet again. Finally, he looked back down at me.

"What did your question mean though? 'Where would I be?'" I hesitated before answering, trying to collect my thoughts.

"In my dream, Kate and I were talking about our futures. College and beyond. If the disease hadn't hit, where do you think you'd be right now?" He looked back at the horizon, deep in thought.

"A fireman," he said confidently. "I mean, I'd go to college first, so I'd probably be there. But that's what I used to want to be."

"I remember that. If it means anything, you would've made a great one." I said, smiling. He chuckled.

"Thanks. What about you? Where would you be?" I thought for a moment. There had been so many things I had wanted to do with my life, and not enough time to do them.

"A few different things, actually. I wanted to go into the environmental or marine sciences, but I also loved psychology. My one true passion that I've loved since I was a kid though is writing. Creative writing." He looked at me.

"Creative writing? Really? Never knew that." We continued walking in silence, but it wasn't awkward. It felt natural.

After a few hours of walking and idle chat later, Simon called for a break after seeing Becca and Emma lagging at the back of the group. We had been walking through neighborhoods, heading for the highway that would head up north. Anytime we traveled, we would walk along the highway. While it wasn't always the safest, it was open enough to see a threat from far off, and was usually the most direct route. We paused under a tree. I sat off to the side, as no one wanted to be near me. Once he had done a scan of the perimeter, Simon sat next to me and offered me water. Gratefully, I accepted it and took a few long gulps.

"You can't give it-" Miles started, then caught himself. "You can't give her our water!" Simon stood up and walked off to the side.

"Miles, I wanna talk to you," Simon said darkly. Miles glared at me one more time, then stood up and walked off to the side with his brother. I sighed, staring at my hands. A shadow passed over me, and I looked up. Sasha was sitting down next to me.

"What? You aren't scared I'll bite?" I asked sarcastically. He shrugged.

"I gotta say, I kinda like it when a girl bites," he said, grinning at me. I shoved his shoulder and laughed.

"Wow. Ok, glad we know where your mind is." We both laughed.

"But seriously, Erin, you seem fine. How do you feel?" He asked. He sounded less accusatory and more actually concerned, which was comforting.

"Totally fine, to be honest. I don't feel different at all." I answered. It was true. I'd even almost forgotten I'd been scratched while walking earlier. Almost.

"Hey," Sasha nudged me with his shoulder. "Maybe you're immune." It was something that I'd thought about, but hadn't said aloud. Everyone wondered if it was possible. What if I was that lucky person? It'd be a game changer for us.

"Well I really don't want to die, so that'd be nice," I said, smirking slightly. He rolled his eyes, but smiled. We talked for a few more minutes, until suddenly I could hear Miles yelling from where they stood, about twenty yards away.

"Her? Her? You can't be serious, dude!" Miles exclaimed. Simon waved his hands, trying to quiet him. I stared at the ground again. Sasha put his arm around me.

"Hey. Don't worry about him. He's just scared. It's not about you, it's about the virus."

"What about me? Does he not understand that I'm just as fucking terrified?" I squeezed my hands into fists, trying to control my voice. "The world doesn't revolve around him." Sasha gave me one-armed hug.

"He just doesn't see it yet. He will." I sighed. I highly doubted it. Miles was a very opinionated person that, before the virus spread, I'd barely known, but now knew very well. All I had known was that he went to school with my sister in Portland. That's why Simon and I had been lucky enough that our siblings were home for summer break when the virus broke out. I leaned my head on Sasha's shoulder.

"I hope you're right."

 _**Thanks so much for any support guys! It's very much appreciated. PLEASE continue to leave reviews/feedback/any comments! It's what helps me keep writing! I absolutely love hearing from you guys. This chapter is just a little transitional between what's happened, and the group's continued journey. Chapter five will be up soon!**_


	5. Chapter 5

After we had rested for about 20 minutes and had a few bites of dried jerky, we continued on until we finally reached the highway entrance. The entire time I could feel Miles' eyes on me from behind. Every time I stopped walking, he stopped as well, trying to keep me within his eyesight. I could see the highway stretch on in front of us for miles, abandoned cars carelessly strewn as if they were the play toys of young child. As we walked we tried to open the doors of the cars, because often we would find the food or water of the families that had tried to escape the virus by car, and then given up and took what they could carry when they realized one thing; There was no escaping.

I walked over to a rusty looking Jeep Wrangler, and yanked on the handle. After a few tries, the door sprung open. Usually we were supposed to do a preliminary sweep of the car before we started searching it, but I had grown careless. I started digging around the backseat for useful items, when a grey, sagging hand started clawing for my hair from the front seat. I yanked myself back as the Walker climbed over the seat and out of the car, coming straight for me. All I could do was stare at it and slowly back up. It walked with a limp, and as I glanced down at its legs I saw why. It was missing a foot. It's left leg went down to the ankle, ending in jagged flesh, a blackened bone sticking out with sharp edges. I heard yelling behind me from my group, telling me to shoot it, but I was frozen. Why did it matter? I was going to die anyway within the next several hours. As Miles had said, I was a ticking time bomb. I could be having a conversation with one of them, people I cared about, and the next minute I could be biting their head off. It wasn't worth it, I decided. The Walker had almost reached me, it's groans piercing the brisk morning air. I could hear footsteps running towards me, so I took a step forward. I wasn't going to let them save me. Not when I was only going to hurt them. The Walker reached out to me, grabbing a fistful of my hair - and then it's arm was hanging from hair, disconnected from the rest of its body. Greenish-brown ooze dripped from its shoulder where the arm had been connected. With a flash of silver, its head disappeared as well, dropping behind its body with a sickening crack. The rest of the body flopped down, twitching a few times before becoming still. It was dead. What was worse was that I was still alive. Someone grabbed my shoulders violently.

"What the fuck, Erin?" Simon yelled at me. Maddie pushed him away and shook my shoulders just as hard.

"What the actual fuck?" She asked desperately. "Are you trying to kills yourself?" I could see tears in her eyes. I stayed silent, feeling nothing. Empty.

"She is," I heard Miles whisper.

"What are you talking about?" Simon asked, his voice shocked. Miles answered him, but kept his eyes locked with mine.

"She doesn't want to hurt us. You were going to let the Walker kill you to protect us, weren't you?" He asked, addressing me. I knew if I tried to speak my voice would break, so I just nodded. Everyone stared at me in shocked silence.

"Listen to me, Erin." Maddie's voice sounded deadly. "You are not going to die before me, alright? I will not let you. So if you ever do something like that again..." She trailed off, tears choking off her voice. I knew that I couldn't hurt Maddie, so I nodded. "Promise me." I nodded again.

"I...I promise." She squeezed my shoulders one more time, then turned around.

"Alright. Let's go." She said, addressing the group. Nobody moved. I looked at Simon, who was staring at me, his knife hanging by his side, dripping with the greenish-brown ooze. Of course it had been him who had saved me.

"You guys heard her. Let's go." I said, still maintaining eye contact with Simon. I was the first to move, and a few moments later the rest of the group followed. We all walked in silence for the next couple of hours, and every time I stopped to check a car, there was always someone right behind me, their weapon at the ready.

It was starting to get dark, but we kept walking until we could no longer see. Finally, we decided it was time to set up camp for the night. The air was freezing and we could feel a storm coming, so we decided to sleep inside some abandoned cars. However, we got into an argument when we were deciding how to divide up the cars, or, more specifically, where to put me. "I'll go in my own car you guys," I said, exasperated. "Then I can't hurt anyone."

"You shouldn't be alone, Erin. No one should be alone." Sasha said.

"I agree that she shouldn't be alone," Miles added. Everyone stared at him with surprised expressions, including myself. He rolled his eyes. "When she turns, we don't want her creeping up on us while we're sleeping. Whoever's on watch should be with her so they can send the alarm, and...take care of it." He finished delicately. We were all quiet. No one wanted to admit it, but he did have a point.

"Alright. I'll do it. It's my turn to be on watch tonight anyways," Simon said calmly. This time it was Simon's turn to be stared at.

"This shouldn't even be a discussion. It'll be me who's with her," Maddie said. Simon turned to her.

"Do you honestly think, that if it came to it, you'd be able to pull the trigger, Maddie? Could you kill her?" His words stung, especially with the implication that he easily could take my life. Maddie was silent, staring at me.

"No." She said quietly. Simon nodded.

"Alright then. It's settled. We'll take this car," he pointed to a Dark blue Subaru. "Maddie and Miles will go in the black jeep, Sasha and Liam, you guys will take that SUV, and Becca, Emma, and Julia, you guys will go in that minivan. Sound good?" Everyone nodded.

All of the cars were clustered together, so with Simon on watch, we would be safe. Unless I attacked him first. I shook the thought away, and got in the car. We put the back seats down so I could lay out, using one of the headrests with a jacket we found wrapped around it as a pillow. It was still cold in the car, but I gritted my teeth, trying not to shiver. Simon sat next to me, his knife sitting loosely in his hand. From his vantage point, he could watch me, as well as keep an eye on the rest of the cars as well. We were quiet for a moment, but I broke it by pulling the revolver out of my waistband and holding it out to him. He raised an eyebrow at me, not taking it immediately. "What's this for?" He asked. I sighed.

"If I go all cannibal on you, I want you to have this. It's easier and quicker." He winced, but nodded and took it. "I'll expect that back though, If I make it through the night," I finished with a slight smirk on my face. He chuckled slightly.

"I couldn't imagine it any other way." I smiled half heartedly, then lay down to try and get some sleep. A few minutes later however, Simon broke the silence, as he knew I wasn't asleep yet, and to be quite honest, I knew I wasn't going to be getting any sleep that night.

"I didn't mean that it would be easy for me to kill you," he said quietly. I opened my eyes to see him staring straight ahead, out the window. I sat up and leaned against the wall of the car and watched him, but stayed silent. "I saw your face when I said that. I just want you to know that it obviously wouldn't be easy. Especially because it's you." I kept looking at him, waiting. When he didn't say anything else, I decided it was my turn to talk.

"Why?" It was a simple question, but I felt as if a rock had rolled over my heart, weighing it down, and only his answer could lift it. Or add more weight, pushing my heart to its breaking point, depending on what it was. He finally met my gaze, and I could see the pain in his eyes. Without a word, I moved closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He wrapped one arm around me, tightly gripping my side as if this was our last moment together, which, in all honesty, most likely was.

 _**Thanks so much for hanging with me guys! I apologize for another cliffhanger! The next chapter will hopefully be up soon._

 _Again, thank you SO much to those of you who have sent me reviews/advice/any comments. That's what keeps me writing, and I wholeheartedly thank you and beg you for more! Please let me know what you are thinking of these last few chapters, I'm always dying to know! Thanks again :)**_


	6. Chapter 6

I blinked slowly as rays of sunlight cut through the car window, straight into my eyes. I sighed, soaking in the warmth after a freezing night. It was the first night, I realized, that had been completely nightmare-free since the first outbreak of Walkers. Since my parents had died. Suddenly, a rush of memories from the previous night flooded back to me, and my eyes shot open. I was lying down, my head resting on another warm body. I looked up to see Simon's sleeping face above me. I sat up slowly, trying not to bump his arm wrapped around me. I looked down at my hands, one clasped in his, but both still their normal color. "No way," I whispered. I checked myself mentally. I was still Erin. Still sane. Hungry, but not for human flesh. The thought of lukewarm corn sounded like the best meal in the world. I shook Simon's arm violently, trying to wake him up. He shot up, grabbing his knife, his head spinning back and forth.

"What's wrong? Who's there?" He yelled. He stopped moving though when he saw me. His jaw dropped.

"Holy crap," he muttered. I nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm not a Walker!" I almost screeched with happiness. Without thinking, I threw my arms around him. He hugged me back tightly. I pulled back slightly and smirked. "Guess I'm going to need Lola back, after all." He looked at me strangely.

"Lola?"

"My gun," I clarified whilst laughing. He rolled his eyes and reached into his waistband and handed it to me.

"Of course you named it." I suddenly realized we still had our arms around each other, and I quickly pulled away.

"Let's go show the others that I'm not a brain dead corpse." He raised his eyebrows again, but chuckled and nodded, opening the back of the car. "By the way, good job at being on watch. Sleeping on the job, very professional." I poked him.

"Hey, I only fell asleep for about an hour. I could still see from lying down, and you looked more comfortable." I felt my cheeks heat up a bit at the thought of him watching me sleep.

"Erin?" A voice filled with amazement came from behind us. I hopped down onto the rain soaked cement and turned to see Maddie staring at us, gaping in disbelief.

"Surprise! I'm not dead," I said, slightly sarcastically. That's all it took though. She ran forward, pulling me into a hug.

"Thank god," she whispered. She pulled back. "But how? Did it not get you?" I shook my head.

"It definitely got me."

"Then...are you...immune?" Maddie asked just as Miles, Sasha, and Liam rounded the corner. I just shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess? This is all new to me too."

"Well I'll be," Miles said. "Looks like I owe you an apology, Erin." I just shrugged.

"You were doing what you thought would protect the group. Don't worry, I don't blame you." I could hear Simon scoff next to me, but I ignored him.

"Do you think this could mean that more of us could be immune?" Sasha asked.

"Maddie would have more of a chance as she's related to Erin, but I wouldn't risk it with the rest of us. I guess there's always the possibility, but out of what? One in a million?" Simon responded. He turned to me. "I guess you're that one in a million." I looked at him for a few seconds. Unsure of how to reply, I nodded and turned back to the group.

"So what's the plan for today?"

We decided to keep moving north, following the highway for miles. The next few days were rather uneventful, and thankfully Walker-free. Everyday, would walk from dawn till dark, only taking breaks to eat and drink, scavenge cars for more food and water, or rest when the slowest of us couldn't keep up. After about two weeks, we reached where the bland, open highway turned into a small residential area, and then finally, we passed into a larger city area. We were in Portland.

"Welcome home," Miles muttered to Maddie sarcastically. We had to be quieter and more careful now. On the highway it was easy to spot Walkers from far off, but here they could be lurking around every corner.

The city was in ruins. Cars packed the streets, abandoned when the people realized there were too many. There was no getting out. All the stores with glass fronts were broken from desperate people scavenging for the last supplies that would ever be manufactured, trash littered the streets, blowing about in the wind. It was everything I'd ever imagined a post-apocalyptic city would look like, except for one characteristic I had never imagined. The eerie silence. On the highway, there had been wind. Loud wind, rushing past my ears, filling them with white noise. Here, the tall buildings blocked out the wind, only letting a small breeze through to rustle a few trees or paper on the ground, causing me to jump every few seconds. Portland had been turned into the definition of a ghost town. I pulled Lola out, grasping her tightly in my hand, the cold metal biting my skin.

"Anybody else find this creepy?" I asked in a whisper after a few minutes. Simon laughed.

"You've been scratched by a Walker and thought you were going to die for over twenty four hours, yet now you're more scared of an empty town?" He asked, amused. I waved my hands as to signal him to quiet down.

"With the Walker, I knew what to expect." I glanced around uneasily. "Here it's just...ghostly. As if the whispers of all the dead are still here. Watching us." I knew I was attracting some raised eyebrows from the group, but I didn't care. "And anyways, a Walker could pop up at any moment. There's too much unknown." That last part at least, the rest could agree with. Everyone took out their weapons, whether it was Simon with his knife, or Julia with her baseball bat. We continued walking, always on high alert. Suddenly, I heard a bullet click into its chamber.

"Don't move."

 _**Thank you guys so, so much again for all your kind words and reviews! I absolutely LOVE hearing from you! I try to respond to all reviews I get, but unfortunately I can't reply to any reviews given by guest users. But know I still read and extremely appreciate them! Please continue to post your reviews, it's what helps me keep writing!_

 _Sorry to leave you with another cliff hanger! No worries, the next chapter will be posted soon! Love you all! And keep reviewing!**_


	7. Chapter 7

Apparently we weren't on high enough alert after all. Lola had been in front of me, unseen from behind so I froze, keeping her hidden. "Turn around. Slowly." The voice commanded. "Weapons down!" She shouted to the rest of my group. Her voice was gruff, but female. As I slowly turned, I tucked the gun back in my waistband and pulled my jacket over it in one swift movement. When I finished my revolution towards the voice, my hands were up in the air, empty. My eyes widened when I saw the scene behind me.

Somehow, about ten men and women, all clad in rough tan clothing, had crept up behind us, each pointing a rifle at each member of my group, all of whom had dropped their various weapons on the ground. The woman with a gun on me was clearly the leader. She held her head up high, her gun held lazily at her waist, but aimed at my head, her finger on the trigger. She had short dark brown hair and deep, creased brown skin. Her face was hardened and showing no emotion, as if she'd seen it all and was no longer impressed.

"I'm unarmed." I told her. I clenched my fists. My voice sounded weak. Feeble. I coughed. I had to fake confidence, even if I didn't feel it. "Who are you?" The last statement came out a bit more strongly than the first, but the woman still didn't look impressed.

"I should be asking you the same thing." She glanced at the rest of our group. "Are any of you infected?" Without waiting for an answer, she nodded to a man who had his gun pointed at Becca. "Charlie. Scan 'em." The man, Charlie, pulled out a small metal device that, upon closer inspection, seemed to be an old iPhone with a thin protruding needle coming out of the back of it. He walked straight towards Becca, grabbing her.

"Hey! Watch it!" She yelled, trying to yank away. The man stopped with one hand on her wrist, waiting for further orders.

"Captain?" He asked. The captain looked to me. I sighed and turned to Becca.

"It's alright. Let them check you." She stared at me, but allowed Charlie to take her arm and prick it with the needle.

"Ouch." She muttered and rubbed the inside of her arm. Charlie watched the screen of the device for a few seconds until there was a small ding.

"She's clear." He called. The captain nodded.

"Check the rest." One by one, each member of our group was pricked in their left arm and eventually cleared. Then it was my turn. I pulled back slightly, hesitating. I watched Simon, trying to speak to him through widening my eyes. What if they find the infection in me even though I'm immune? I tried to ask him. He nodded his head towards the device. Go ahead. He seemed to be saying.

"You're the last one," the captain said impatiently. I sighed and reluctantly held out my arm. Charlie pricked my arm and watched the device. Instead of the ding that had happened for everyone else, a small warning bell went off, and I saw it flash red. Suddenly there were ten guns pointed at me, all cocked and aimed at either my head or heart.

"Woah!" Maddie said, pulling me behind her as she put a hand up to all the guns. "She's not infected!" The captain sighed.

"I'm sorry, but our scanner is never wrong." Her voice had grown hard. Suspicious. "She can't come with us. And that includes the rest of you too. We don't trust groups who walk with their infected instead of putting them out." She emphasized her clear contempt by spitting a wad of saliva on the ground.

"That's my sister," Maddie growled. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Maddie, it's ok." I turned towards the captain. "What's your name? Do you mind if we talk privately for a minute? Without all your..." I gestured around at the guns. "Friends?" The captain hesitated, then nodded at her soldiers to stand down.

"Fine. But I hope you won't mind my...extra precautions." She held her rifle tightly. I nodded and without another word started walking off to the side until we were out of earshot from the rest of the group. I shot once glance at my sister and Simon over my shoulder telling them one thing; do not tell them I'm immune.

I turned around once we were far enough away to face the captain. She decided to speak first. "The name's Earnshaw. I don't know what you think this conversation will get you. You're infected, and we make no exceptions. I take it you're the leader of your group?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

"You could say that," I shrugged, scratching the back of my neck. "Listen. I'm not infected. And I can prove it. But please, you have to promise not to tell anyone. They could kill me." Captain Earnshaw scoffed and pursed her lips, but let me continue. I took a deep breath, then pushed up my sleeve to show her the four now almost healed gashes. She immediately grabbed her gun again with both hands, her finger on the trigger.

"I don't know what kind of sick game you're playing-" She started to say. I held up my hands.

"Wait. Be more observant." I showed her the injury again. "It's already healing. How long do you think that would take?" She was quiet for a moment.

"More than...a day..." She trailed off while slowly lowering her gun. I nodded.

"I'm immune." I stated. It felt weird to admit it out loud, let alone to a stranger. But she would kill me otherwise. "You can take me into observation for a night, lock me up, do whatever you have to do to make sure. But please take me and my group with you. All we're looking for is safety." I could see her mind working a mile a minute, processing what I'd shown her as well as my proposal. Eventually, she nodded.

"Alright. We'll keep you in quarantine for the night. If you're still alive, we'll discuss other...possibilities." I didn't quite like the sound of the way she said 'possibilities,' but it was my only chance.

"Deal."

 _**I know I'm constantly saying this, but thank you so much to all of my readers! The amount of reviews I received after my last chapter was the most I've gotten, and I'm so, so thankful! I wish I could respond to everyone, but it doesn't allow responses on the guest posts. Just know I read all of it and love it!_

 _If you haven't already, or you feel like doing so again, please let me know in the reviews if you like the story! Tell me your favorite parts, your favorite scenes, or your favorite characters! What don't you like too? Anything and everything! Don't worry, chapter seven will be up soon!_

 _Thanks so much again :)**_


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